The Protein Data Bank and structural genomics

The Protein Data Bank (PDB; http://www.pdb.org/) continues to be actively involved in various aspects of the informatics of structural genomics projects--developing and maintaining the Target Registration Database (TargetDB), organizing data dictionaries that will define the specification for the exchange and deposition of data with the structural genomics centers and creating software tools to capture data from standard structure determination applications.     

A desert octodontid rodent,Tympanoctomys barrerae,uses modified hairs for stripping epidermal tissue from leaves of halophytic plants

Desert rodents that consume halophytic plants must have adaptations for coping with the high salt content of the leaves. A kidney capable of excreting very concentrated urine is one method. Another is removal of the hypersaline epidermis by means of chisel-like incisors prior to ingestion of the leaves. Tympanoctomys barrerae has evolved a unique refinement of the latter adaptation. It possesses two bundles of stiffened hairs on either side of the palate just caudal to the incisors. The bundles vibrate against the lower incisors, removing the epidermis from the leaves. The efficiency of the operation is significantly greater than with the use of incisors alone. Such a device has not been described in any other mammal. The facial muscles associated with the lips, the cheek vibrissae, and the oral cavity are described in T. barrerae and the nonhalophilic octodontid Octomys mimax. M. buccinatorius pars intermaxillaris is the only muscle in direct contact with the bristle bundles. Other anatomical features found in T. barrerae that may be associated with this feeding device are: 1) a much enlarged and mobile lower labial pad operated by Mm. buccinatorius pars orbicularis oris, pars longitudinalis profunda, and mandibularis cranialis profunda; 2) two oral glands not described in other rodents; and 3) a shortened tongue. Although, taken as a whole, this epidermal stripping device is unique to T. barrerae, most of its features have evolved by modification of structures present in the facial region of more generalized rodents.     

2-(Anilinomethyl)imidazolines as alpha(1)-adrenoceptor agonists: the identification of alpha(1A) subtype selective 2'-carboxylic acid esters and amides

2-(Anilinomethyl)imidazolines with 2'-esters or 2'-amides are potent agonists of the cloned human alpha(1)-adrenoceptors in vitro. The size and shape of the ortho substituent can have significant effects on the potency, efficacy, and subtype selectivity of these 2-(anilinomethyl)imidazolines. alpha(1A)-subtype selective agonists have been identified.     

alpha(1)-Adrenoceptor agonists: the identification of novel alpha(1A )subtype selective 2'-heteroaryl-2-(phenoxymethyl)imidazolines

Novel 2'-heteroaryl-2-(phenoxymethyl)imidazolines have been identified as potent agonists of the cloned human alpha(1)-adrenoceptors in vitro. The nature of the 2'-heteroaryl group can have significant effects on the potency, efficacy, and subtype selectivity in this series. alpha(1A) Subtype selective agonists have been identified.     

Chemokine-dependent mechanisms of leukocyte trafficking across a model of the blood-brain barrier

Leukocyte transmigration across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a multistep process that can be mediated by chemokines. These low-molecular-weight chemoattractant proteins are secreted by cells within the central nervous system (CNS) in response to injury or on activation. Leukocytes transmigrate toward this chemokine gradient, crossing the BBB and gaining access to the CNS parenchyma. Depending on the chemokine, the nature of the insult, and the type of cell that transmigrates, the BBB integrity may be disrupted, leading to its increased permeability. Both the inflammation resulting from leukocyte transmigration and BBB perturbations contribute to CNS pathology. The mechanisms that mediate leukocyte transmigration and BBB disruption, as well as tissue culture models that are used to study leukocyte trafficking, are the focus of this review.